Email marketing is a proven way to build great relationships with your readers and to convert them from prospects to paying customers. Because of this, there is a massive focus on building your list. You only have to dip your toe in the online pool to see hundreds of articles, e-courses and experts telling you how to build your list.
But what do you do with those subscribers when you have them on your list?
You have to talk to them right. But what do you say, and how do you build the relationship that is vital to generating sales?
Panic not! Here are some really simple things that you can put together and send to your list.
Email Marketing 101… the emails that can build your whole email strategy.
First: Write Good Emails
Before you write any emails to your database, you need to make sure that you have something worth saying. Don’t just send an email for the sake of it, or because you feel like you have to. Each email should have something of value to your readers. You also need to grab their attention with a catchy headline, hook them in with a killer opening paragraph and then deliver some gems with the rest of your content. Oh, the most important part… don’t forget to proofread your work!
If you would love to know how to write the emails that people actually want to read, then you can sign up for my best email writing tips here.
Key Emails To Have In Your Email Marketing Strategy
The Welcome Email Sequence
When people land on your email list, this might be the first interaction they have had with your business. You wouldn’t let someone walk into your house without introducing yourself, so why would this be any different?
Your welcome sequence is your first chance to start building a relationship with your readers. Prospective clients are far more likely to turn into paying clients if they Know, Like and Trust you. Welcoming them to your list, introducing yourself and showing how your business can help them are the first steps to building that relationship of trust.
Regular Newsletter
Once you have welcomed your subscribers to your list you want to stay in touch with a regular newsletter. This newsletter should not be filled with sales posts, but with lots of useful information that your readers will find interesting. With the amount of information and messaging that your subscribers will receive every day, it is very likely that they will forget about your business if they don’t hear from you. A regular newsletter will keep your business in the front of their mind and you will be the first person they contact when they need your products or services.
Re Engagement Email
Has your email marketing taken a bit of a dive? Haven’t been in touch with your list in a while? It happens. But you don’t want to just pop into their inbox 6 months later like nothing has happened. Chances are, a lot of them will have forgotten why they signed up to your list in the first place. So you want to introduce yourself again via a re-engagement email.
Sales Sequence
Once you have put in the hard yards building a relationship with your list, you can start to sell to them. But only sell the things that they will be interested in. You can start small by asking them a question that begins an interaction. Don’t aim for the sale immediately, but start an individual conversation with interested parties. You can also use more direct sales tactics like product launches, special offers and regular opportunities to buy.
Remember to keep providing interesting engaging content, don’t only sell to your list.
Thank You Emails
If someone does you the honour of purchasing from you, send them a thank you email. Not only is it a polite gesture, but it is also an opportunity to upsell them. After you have made them feel appreciated by thanking them, give them a special offer to be able to buy from you again. Everyone loves a bargain, and you will score even more brownie points for offering them one.
Abandoned Cart Emails
Did you know that some people who abandon their carts don’t actually mean to? Sometimes they get distracted, their phone battery dies, or their screen freezes. By the time they get back on track they might have forgotten their pending purchase, or lost motivation to deal with their technology any more. Sending them an email reminding them of the items they had in their cart can potentially recover the lost sale.
A Feedback Email
You might think that you know what your subscribers want, but how will you really know unless you ask them? Give them the opportunity to provide feedback on your products, services and ideas. Discover what they truly want, what their biggest pain points are, and what they need from your business. You can then service your subscribers better and it increases your chances that they will buy from you. Send it as an open request for feedback, or send it as a survey for them to respond to.
Request For Help
After you have earned the trust of your subscribers, you have the right to ask for a little bit of help. If they have purchased one of your products or services, ask them to review it. The words in a client testimonial are far more powerful at convincing prospects that they should work with you than anything that you can write yourself.
Freebie Email
Who doesn’t love free stuff? Every so often, gift your readers a fantastic free resource. It has to be something that they want and something that they will use. If you hit the nail on the head with those two things then you will keep your readers opening your emails and engaged with your content.
Value Email
Like I mentioned above, not every email should be about selling. Send your list an email that contains pure value and nothing else. It could be a link to your latest blog post, exclusive info just for your subscribers, some inspiration, a how-to-guide, a video tutorial… the options are endless. Simply providing value shows that you value your readers for who they are and don’t only see them as a sales prospect.
The Sneak Peek Email
Got something exciting coming up in your business? Then let your list be the first to know. This can be a new product release, the launch of a new service, the opening of a new store, or advanced notice of an event or sale. Make it worth your reader’s while to remain on your list by giving them little perks that all your other contacts don’t get.
The Milestone Email
It is good to make your subscribers feel special by recognising key dates. This could be their birthday, the anniversary of the date they joined your list, or your own big business milestones. Maybe you reached a certain number of subscribers, users, video views, social media followers, or any other factors you want to celebrate. Let your readers feel part of the time by celebrating these key milestones with you.
Are you still worrying about what you can say to your list? I hope not. These email types should keep your list engaged for quite some time!
If you love the email marketing ideas but aren’t quite sure how to write the actual content, then you can sign up for my best email tips to write emails that people actually want to read right here…